In a factory or distribution warehouse, it may be desirable to move loads along a transporting path that is predominately horizontal, but which may also involve travel uphill, downhill, diversion between subpaths, and the like. Overhead conveyor systems allow such movement. The systems may comprise rotating drive tubes, a carriage that is supported by the drive tube or a fixed support rail and that has skewed drive wheels to engage with the rotating drive tube. The engagement of the skewed wheels with the rotating drive tube propels the carriage along the rotating drive tube or along a fixed rail.
In some conveyor systems, many drive tubes may be used. When multiple drive tubes are used, it may be necessary to connect several drive tubes in succession. Typical devices and methods of connecting drive tubes, such as couplings, may be costly and cumbersome as they may require numerous parts. In addition, different sections of a single conveyor system may be subject to different environmental conditions, which may result in a single conveyor system requiring different types of couplings for different sections. By way of example only, in some embodiments, a single conveyor system may require one or more couplings capable of being subjected to elevated temperatures for one section of the conveyor system, while couplings used in another section of the conveyor system do not need to be capable of being subjected to elevated temperatures. As a result, in these types of conveyor systems, the length of the drive tubes may vary depending on which types of couplings are used to connect a series of adjacent drive tubes. Requiring more than one length of drive tube may increase the cost and time required for assembly or repair. Therefore, it may be beneficial to provide a conveyor system incorporating multiple types of couplings wherein a standard length of drive tube can be used irrespective of what types of couplings are used to connect adjacent drive tubes.
While a variety of conveyor systems and coupling devices have been made and used, it is believed that no one prior to the inventor has made or used an invention as described herein.
The drawings are not intended to be limiting in any way, and it is contemplated that various embodiments of the invention may be carried out in a variety of other ways, including those not necessarily depicted in the drawings. The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements shown.